Gregory G. Allen's Blog, page 6

When A Friend Hits a Wall

This blog is called adversity & diversity. I've written about that subject over and over. There are times those words can be so close I don't even recognize them. Over ten years ago, I started a new job at Bloomfield College where my assistant Traci had already been working. I've shared the story about her telling me she didn't want to like me at first, but we hit it off and became friends bonded by creativity. I admired her tenacity of being a single mom, raising a son, and returning to college in her late 30s to get her degree. I even wrote a letter about her to Oprah (something I don't think I ever told her) about someone who sees a challenge and tackles it. (PS: Oprah didn't respond.)
Traci always seemed to be hit with many adverse situations, but would see them head on and figure out how to make them work for her and her son. Her Corporate America job was downsized, she started working at the college, and made lemonade from her lemons. She was part of my life changes blog entries back in 2011. She and I would collaborate on projects, be sounding boards for each other's creative endeavors, and she assist directed on the short film MOTHER that I directed.
When I left that job three years ago, we stayed in contact as she made another large life change and she and her son left New Jersey for a new life in Colorado this past fall. Traci has been back in the creative world again where she works, but everything came crashing down this past fall. They lost the home they were living in and Traci got an infection that medicine can't help and today she was told she will be losing her foot. 
This news changes everything. For the person who has always put a positive spin on things in the past, this one is a much harder pill to swallow. She and her son already were in need of a new home, but now it's even more dire. Once out of rehab her life is going to be even more difficult. 
There was a GoFundMe set up in May, but now it's more imperative they raise funds to assist her once she's out of the hospital. If you can give, that is awesome. If you can spread the word, that's great too. 
We see folks in need all the time - many times at a distance on TV or the news. When it's a friend that's in need...you want to do whatever you can to give them a chance to get back on their feet. As I typed that last sentence, it hit me again that I simply can't comprehend what Traci will go through with the removal of her foot. But I do know she has it in her to pick herself back up. Sometimes we just need help.

1984 in 2017

Last night I saw the Broadway production of 1984 at the Hudson Theatre. I came home and said I wasn't going to blog about it as I felt people should see it on their own without knowing much about it. However, I can't get it out of my mind. 
Many have read the George Orwell dystopian novel that told of a futuristic world where government was in charge of people's lives and thoughts. Now that we've past the actual year of '84, it's easy to see that Orwell was a prophet of sorts as the world slowly turns into his predictions/warnings (in one way or another). 
I honestly had forgotten the story having read it so long ago in high school. Sure, we all joke about Big Brother and the thought of constantly being watched - but the guts of the story was gone from my mind. What Robert Icke and Duncan MacMillan have done with this adaptation (both writing and directing) is theatrical genius. The production is a mind-F#$#% (I mean that in a good way) and at times confusing. But that's exactly what Big Brother does with society...confusing us between what is real and what is fake news. Some of the stars of this production are the technical designers and team that create a universe that I don't want to spoil. It's magical and at times, mind-blowing.
The entire ensemble of actors are wonderful which includes Olivia Wilde making her Broadway debut (who interestingly enough was born in 1984), but I have to say that Tom Sturridge is absolutely brilliant. How this man did two performances last night at 5pm and again and 9pm when we saw it makes me feel like a slacker. He completely becomes our 'everyman' Winston Smith as I knew he would after seeing him in Orphans a few years back. He is actor that disappears in a character and lives it. I cannot get him from my mind when he desperately looks at the audience pleading for help and caught my eyes on the 3rd row. I wanted to stand and join forces with him in his resistance towards what he knows to be false.
Reed Birney is also a gem on stage in whatever he does. He doesn't disappoint here. The man is calculating, cold and wonderful.
One can't help but create parallels to American politics under the reign of Trump. I even started the my day writing of patriotism and resistance and then ended seeing it played out on stage in front of me feeling I AM Winston Smith. Many of us feel that way right now.
Go see this show. Don't read about the people fainting and getting sick. Yes, it's intense. But art is there to make you think and feel. I was completely immersed in this work and thank all of this team for bringing it to New York. I just hope the Tony voters remember this show come next June when this limited run is long gone.
Oh and no matter what Trump tweets...keep reminding yourself that 2 2=4. That is truth. That is real.


The London Production

Independence Day and Patriotism

As we head into the celebration of our country's independence, I felt I couldn't stay silent any longer on this issue.
If you support a man over your country, you don't get to claim being a patriot.
If you wave the US flag when you'd rather it be a confederate one, you don't get to claim being a patriot.
If you blindly support any words that come out of the president's mouth, you don't get to claim being a patriot.

We can't normalize what is coming out of the White House. We can't compare this to any previous administration. You don't get to debate what is happening by deflecting to the elections of 2016. You must own what your candidate is doing. I say YOUR because as part of the many Americans resisting this man, I don't claim him as mine. Those that stand up to him are true patriots as they have the country's best interest at heart. They don't listen to his paid shills filling viewer's heads with lies that there is a war on the president. He has declared a war on the media as well as anyone that disagrees with him. He treats his presidency as if he won a reality show. He blames others for the fact he has not filled MANY positions that are in desperate need of leadership. He doesn't understand that signing executive orders does not equal getting work done. He continues to divide the nation daily in his tweets which, btw, are not 'cute' simply because he tweets his mind. And there is NO particular media channel telling me these things - I'm simply watching and listening to what he says. 
NONE of this is normal.
The man has no respect for the office he holds and therefore I have NO respect for him. None whatsoever. It's a shame as I've always maintained that respect even when I disagreed with the person holding the office. Not this time. This man is in over his head, shows contempt for anyone who challenges him, and in a very short time has lowered the world views on the country that I love. Talk about patriotism - it's a shame he can't put country over himself.
So as we celebrate the independence we once won over our mother country, just know there are many Americans who still hold this country dear and will resist those that are out to destroy it. And yes - at this moment, I believe it's all on the line with every person that is currently on the payroll for this administration. The fight continues. Call us snowflakes, send us to our safe spaces, but know that WE are the patriots who do not fear standing up for our country.
God Bless America.

2017 Tony Awards Picks

It's Tony Awards Week! Time for my blog on who I WANT to win (not necessarily who I believe will win). I know I'm not in agreement with others in the theater world, but that's what makes the world go round. 

Best Play:
“A Doll’s House, Part 2” 
“Indecent”
“Oslo”
“Sweat”Every actor was nominated for A Doll's House, Part 2...I'm going with that one as a way to celebrate all of them.Best Musical:
“Come From Away”
“Dear Evan Hansen”
“Groundhog Day The Musical”
“Natasha, Pierre & The Great Comet of 1812” This is tough, but I think the hopeful message of CFA (in this uncertain time we're in), may pull ahead of the gut-wrenching show that is DEH. (I loved them BOTH!)Best Book of a Musical:
“Come From Away” — Irene Sankoff and David Hein
“Dear Evan Hansen” — Steven Levenson
“Groundhog Day The Musical” — Danny Rubin
“Natasha, Pierre & The Great Comet of 1812” — Dave MalloyBest Original Score:
“Come From Away” — Music & Lyrics: Irene Sankoff and David Hein
“Dear Evan Hansen” — Music & Lyrics: Benj Pasek & Justin Paul
“Groundhog Day The Musical” — Music & Lyrics: Tim Minchin
“Natasha, Pierre & The Great Comet of 1812” — Music & Lyrics: Dave MalloyBest Revival of a Play:
“August Wilson’s Jitney”
“Lillian Hellman’s The Little Foxes”
“Present Laughter”
“Six Degrees of Separation”I loved this production! Best Revival of a Musical:
“Falsettos”
“Hello, Dolly!”
“Miss Saigon”No words to describe the joy from that evening. (And I'm returning this summer to see Donna Murphy in the title role!)
Best Performance by an Actor in a Leading Role in a Play:
Denis Arndt, “Heisenberg”
Chris Cooper, “A Doll’s House, Part 2”
Corey Hawkins, “Six Degrees of Separation”
Kevin Kline, “Present Laughter”
Jefferson Mays, “Oslo”I will say...I wish that Gideon Glick was nominated for "Significant Other" - he would have gotten my vote.Best Performance by an Actress in a Leading Role in a Play:
Cate Blanchett, “The Present”
Jennifer Ehle, “Oslo”
Sally Field, “The Glass Menagerie”
Laura Linney, “Lillian Hellman’s The Little Foxes”
Laurie Metcalf, “A Doll’s House, Part 2”However, Laurie Metcalf may swoop in on this one. Best Performance by an Actor in a Leading Role in a Musical:
Christian Borle, “Falsettos”
Josh Groban, “Natasha, Pierre & The Great Comet of 1812”
Andy Karl, “Groundhog Day The Musical”
David Hyde Pierce, “Hello, Dolly!”
Ben Platt, “Dear Evan Hansen”I thought at one point that Andy Karl (with his 'the show must go on' attitude) might yank it away from Ben, but I think the momentum is still there for this incredible performance.Best Performance by an Actress in a Leading Role in a Musical:
Denee Benton, “Natasha, Pierre & The Great Comet of 1812”
Christine Ebersole, “War Paint”
Patti LuPone, “War Paint”
Bette Midler, “Hello, Dolly!”
Eva Noblezada, “Miss Saigon”She is absolutely delicious in the role!!Best Performance by an Actor in a Featured Role in a Play:
Michael Aronov, “Oslo”
Danny DeVito, “Arthur Miller’s The Price”
Nathan Lane, “The Front Page”
Richard Thomas, “Lillian Hellman’s The Little Foxes”
John Douglas Thompson, “August Wilson’s Jitney”I LOVED Mr. Thomas in this role, but I think Danny DeVito will get it (who was also wonderful too). Best Performance by an Actress in a Featured Role in a Play:
Johanna Day, “Sweat”
Jayne Houdyshell, “A Doll’s House, Part 2”
Cynthia Nixon, “Lillian Hellman’s The Little Foxes”
Condola Rashad, “A Doll’s House, Part 2”
Michelle Wilson, “Sweat”

Best Performance by an Actor in a Featured Role in a Musical:
Gavin Creel, “Hello, Dolly!”
Mike Faist, “Dear Evan Hansen”
Andrew Rannells, “Falsettos”
Lucas Steele, “Natasha, Pierre & The Great Comet of 1812”
Brandon Uranowitz, “Falsettos”Best Performance by an Actress in a Featured Role in a Musical:
Kate Baldwin, “Hello, Dolly!”
Stephanie J. Block, “Falsettos”
Jenn Colella, “Come From Away”
Rachel Bay Jones, “Dear Evan Hansen”
Mary Beth Peil, “Anastasia”Jenn Colella has been winning this category in other awards this season and may do it here, but I think it should be Ms. Jones. Colella is wonderful, but so is that entire ensemble and that should be seen with a Best Musical win.Best Scenic Design of a Play:
David Gallo, “August Wilson’s Jitney”
Nigel Hook, “The Play That Goes Wrong”
Douglas W. Schmidt, “The Front Page”
Michael Yeargan, “Oslo”Best Scenic Design of a Musical:Rob Howell, “Groundhog Day The Musical”
David Korins, “War Paint”
Mimi Lien, “Natasha, Pierre & The Great Comet of 1812”
Santo Loquasto, “Hello, Dolly!”
I would give this to "Groundhog Day" for those changing sets & inventive scenes - however, I think it will go to Mimi Lien (even though that set feels more like an art installation to me and nothing changes throughout the evening...set-wise.)Best Costume Design of a Play:
Jane Greenwood, “Lillian Hellman’s The Little Foxes”
Susan Hilferty, “Present Laughter”
Toni-Leslie James, “August Wilson’s Jitney”
David Zinn, “A Doll’s House, Part 2”Best Costume Design of a Musical:
Linda Cho, “Anastasia”
Santo Loquasto, “Hello, Dolly!”
Paloma Young, “Natasha, Pierre & The Great Comet of 1812”
Catherine Zuber, “War Paint”Best Lighting Design of a Play:
Christopher Akerlind, “Indecent”
Jane Cox, “August Wilson’s Jitney”
Donald Holder, “Oslo”
Jennifer Tipton, “A Doll’s House, Part 2”Best Lighting Design of a Musical:
Howell Binkley, “Come From Away”
Natasha Katz, “Hello, Dolly!”
Bradley King, “Natasha, Pierre & The Great Comet of 1812”
Japhy Weideman, “Dear Evan Hansen”The sheer fact they are lighting people ALL around the theater and hitting those marks! Best Direction of a Play:
Sam Gold, “A Doll’s House, Part 2”
Ruben Santiago-Hudson, “August Wilson’s Jitney”
Bartlett Sher, “Oslo”
Daniel Sullivan, “Lillian Hellman’s The Little Foxes”
Rebecca Taichman, “Indecent”

Best Direction of a Musical:
Christopher Ashley, “Come From Away”
Rachel Chavkin, “Natasha, Pierre & The Great Comet of 1812”
Michael Greif, “Dear Evan Hansen”
Matthew Warchus, “Groundhog Day The Musical”
Jerry Zaks, “Hello, Dolly!”I have a feeling Rachel Chavkin will win...however, I had issue with the direction of this show. It was too much for me.Best Choreography:
Andy Blankenbuehler, “Bandstand”
Peter Darling and Ellen Kane, “Groundhog Day The Musical”
Kelly Devine, “Come From Away”
Denis Jones, “Holiday Inn, The New Irving Berlin Musical”
Sam Pinkleton, “Natasha, Pierre & The Great Comet of 1812”Best Orchestrations:Bill Elliott and Greg Anthony Rassen, “Bandstand”
Larry Hochman, “Hello, Dolly!”
Alex Lacamoire, “Dear Evan Hansen”
Dave Malloy, “Natasha, Pierre & The Great Comet of 1812”

Russia and a Great Comet

Russia is in the news so much these days, I figured it was time for me to finally get around to seeing Natasha, Pierre & the Great Comet of 1812 on Broadway. I'll admit, I had no desire to see it when everyone was running to it off-Broadway. Then it moved to Broadway last fall and while I see pretty much everything, I kept it off my list. I got tickets just a few days before it received 12 Tony nominations and I'm glad to have finally witnessed the spectacle that is this show. By now, must theater people reading this blog have heard of the show written by Dave Malloy. The man took years perfecting his adaptation of Tolstoy's War and Peace to bring it to the stage. The Imperial Theatre is completly changed to present this show in an environment that surrounds the audience. More of an art installation than a set design, Mimi Lien has been nominated for this impressive work of art. 
There is a feeling of Hair as I watched this piece unfold. The Broadway outsiders creating art for art's sake that happens to find its way to Broadway. Many of the performers have been with the show forever and are making Broadway debuts. Their energy, excitement, passion are all so present in what they are doing. I applaud all of the people involved that have worked so hard on this show and managed to stay in the minds of Tony voters to get the most nominations of the season even though they opened last fall.
There are some incredible performances in the show. While Josh Groban's role may not actually be the male lead - it sure feels that way and his voice is incredible. I also loved Lucas Steele, Brittain Ashford, Grace McLean...and a shout out to ensemble Nick Gaswirth who stood out to me. Denée Benton makes her Broadway debut in the title role and this young woman is magical. I wish I could have heard her better, but I honestly can't wait to see what the future has in store for this Tony nominated actress.
Director Rachel Chavkin has created her own type of world with this show, but for me...it's too much. If you have the need to feed audience members perogies, pass out noise makers, involve the audience in the show, and have things happening all around...I question why can't the story live on its own without all of that. There were times I was watching how the audience reacts to an actor sitting with them on the stage instead of the main story going on elsewhere. However the lighting is wonderful, the sound follows the performers to where they are on stage (thanks to sitting next to a sound designer who pointed that out to me) and the costumes are beautiful.
There are parts of Malloy's score that I really love, but then there are rhyme schemes and opera recitative that becomes tiresome to my ears. (I totally understand this is just me as many people think it's the score of the year.) I also had a tough time hearing a few of the leads so I missed many lyrics in the show.
I've seen so many sung through musicals and have always been able to follow the story. I don't feel you should have to know the plot before seeing something. (I came home and read the study guide on their website after the fact to know what I had seen.) They sing in the opening number that you need to study up a bit to keep up with the plot. Sorry, I'm from the old school that shows should be able to give me what I need on stage without outside help. Shame on me for not remembering War and Peace. 
All of that said, I still enjoyed myself in the evening as a totally different type of an exceptional and innovative theatrical experience. With Sweeney Todd being presented in a pie shop downtown, maybe this is where Broadway is heading and I just have to be prepared to change with the times and eat my dinner while seeing a show. 
      

Finding My Groove

I'm at that place where I don't know what I want to be when I grow up. I haven't written a novel since 2012 (and it came out in January of 2013). The past few years has been a whirlwind of different projects. Children's books. Screenwriting. Directing a short film. (Actually two years ago today, I was in LA at a film festival.) I've chased after things that became a dead end. 
LA Fim FestivalI'll share now that Chicken Boy had a year long option to be turned into a cartoon and it never happened. I've come close to getting a feature film made and that fell through my fingers too. It's all part of this crazy world we call show business. Sure, I've loved the things I've done. I got back ON stage last summer. I returned to my roots of children's theater with my book about a squirrel who loves theater. I go to tons of theater and share my reviews here trying to be as honest as possible while understanding the work that goes into putting up a new show. (If anyone is reading and wants to hire me as a reviewer...feel free.)
Still...I'm always wondering what's next. Well, I found a manuscript from 2013 that I had started as a sequel to my first novel Well With My Soul . It would be a sequel to those that read the book, but it's also a stand alone (hopefully) YA Novel about the two kids at the end of that book. The story jumps ahead 10 years later when they are in high school and I was writing it in the same way I wrote my first novel: each chapter being the opposite sibling. Only...I think I've forgotten how to write.
I keep re-reading the manuscript and I'm pleased with what I started. Ideas are flooding my mind. I'm reading more YA books. I'm watching films, TV shows geared to that audience. And yet, I'm frozen. I open the manuscript to continue and I can't seem to write anything.
It's an odd place to land. Perhaps the older we get, the more we question our abilities. You think that the first novels were an anomaly and you're a fraud in the literary world. I've worked with five different publishers since 2011. I feel I've learned so much. But somewhere in the back of my mind, there is something that says...why bother. Who is going to read it anyways. 
This isn't meant to be one of those 'poor, poor, pitiful me' blogs...and I see it's quickly becoming that. So I should stop now. Maybe I'll find that groove again. Maybe I won't. It could be that it remains an idea in my brain and six chapters of an unfinished manuscript. Who knows. Only time will tell. (Or the road will lead me a different way because something else comes up.) Until then...I'll keep trying. 

Journey to the Past

In a very busy year for new Broadway musicals, Anastasia rises above as a new musical that pays homage to the traditions of musical theater. Perhaps Tony nominating voters didn't see it that way or maybe there were just too many shows to choose from this year, but I found it to be a completely entertaining evening. The incredible writing team behind Ragtime joined forces again for another musical set MANY miles away from America and almost 100 years ago. Actually, Anastasia takes place during 1907, 1917, and 1927 telling the story of the demise of the Romanov family in Saint Petersburg, Russia and one woman's journey to find out if she is the long lost child from that family. The story has been told in a few films (including a cartoon in the late 1990s) and Terrence McNally used both sources to create the book while Stephen Flaherty and Lynn Ahrens added to the songs they had already created for that '97 film. No one writes a score like those two. Always melodic, with a pulsing/driving beat, and lyrics that land correctly in a phrase. (Note: this score should have been nominated over Groundhog Day for Best Score.)

Christy Altomare plays the title character and is a delight on stage. Adorable, charming, and a voice to die for. Derek Klena is the young man that decides to groom her to 'pretend' to be Anastasia (along with John Bolton showing all is comic wit on stage) as the two launch into a My Fair Lady story of turning this street sweeper into the princess. There is true joy when the three of them are onstage creating a family on their journey from Russia to Paris (where the grandmother of Anastasia now resides).
Mary Beth Peil is the only performer to receive a Tony nom as the grandmother who carries love and pain over the loss of her entire family. Caroline O'Connor (who I loved in A Christmas Story and I decided is the 2000s version of Sally Mayes) shows up in Act 2 as the Countess Lily who watches over Dowager Empress and boy are we glad she does. Every choice this actress makes is exceptional in her comic timing. (I want to see her play Dolly at some point.) She and Bolton are a wonderful pair.  The writers decided to venture away from the cartoon which had a creepy Rasputin (and a talking bat) and instead gave us a handsome villain played by Ramin Karimloo. The son of the Russians who brought down the Romanov family must decide if he's his father's son and bring this imposter Anastasia to the same justice/fate. He is given incredible songs to display his talent...I just wish they would have worked on his character more to either create a true love triangle or just make him another Javert-type man chasing someone for stealing a loaf of bread. 
I usually hate projections on Broadway, but MAN do they work beautifully in this show. Aaron Rhyne has created those to work so well with Alexander Dodge's set and Donald Holder's lighting that it truly feels magical. (Plus it made me relive my trips when I've gone to both Saint Petersburg and Paris.) I also believe Linda Cho should win the Tony for her costume design: stunning. Kudos to director Darko Tresnjak too!
The show runs a little long, but in another season - it would be the talk of Broadway. Unfortunately, there were just too many shows this year, though they did walk away with 9 Drama Desk Awards nominations and 13 Outer Critics Awards noms. From the sound of the women in the audience that recall the cartoon film from their childhood - I think they've landed in Wicked territory and this show could run for a while. I know my oldest two nieces (both in their 20s) love the film and can't wait to see it on Broadway someday too. This is a journey you definitely don't want to pass up! 
My own journey to the past: Saint Petersburg 2009 with my hubby Paris 2014 with my niece

Bandstand Swings onto Broadway

The Paper Mill Playhouse in New Jersey has become the place to work on original musicals and two of those have found their way to Broadway this season. Both Bandstand and A Bronx Tale had tryouts across the river before hitting New York. I applaud writers for creating an original show not based on a film or a book as it's not an easy task. The upside is that the sky is the limit when your story can go anywhere. Rob Taylor and Richard Oberacker (Book and Lyrics) and Richard Oberacker (Music) makes their Broadway debuts with this show and have created a new musical that pays homage to the old. Set in the 40s after a vet comes home to Ohio from the war, he returns to his old life of playing the piano and decides to put together a band to win a contest in NYC. He also has promised a friend that didn't make it to check in on his widow (who also has a great voice) so you can see where this is going.
As a theater enthusiast, I go into every show wanting to love it and be swept away. I especially enjoy going to a show that I know nothing of and walking away mesmerized (as I did with Bright Star last season). There is much to love in this show, but there are also misses which left me with mixed feelings about the show. It was simply fine, but in a season crowded by new musicals (as no one wanted to open against Hamilton last season), I'm not sure 'fine' will keep a show running.
The Good
The score. Wow! Infusion of jazz and swing yet still sounding modern in some odd way. I really enjoyed the music and for me this score jumps above both War Paint and Groundhog Day (with composers who are NOT new to Broadway)...so kudos to these newbies.
The dancing. Andy Blankenbuehler (who gave us the dancing in Hamilton) plays double duty as director and choreographer in this show. The exuberance these dancers bring to the stage is electric. It is high energy, constantly moving and from the sounds in the audience - greatly appreciated.
The performers: Laura Osnes as the widow and Corey Cott as the returning vet have that quality that all leading actors must have. Incredible vocal chops, people you can't take your eyes off of, their chemistry together on stage - all amazing. I actually loved all the men that make up the band...each giving a very different character and how they are dealing with being home. They have great voices, comic timing, plus ALL of them play the actual instruments onstage which adds for even more excitement in this show. It is wonderful seeing Beth Leavel back on Broadway (as the widow's mother), though I feel her talents are a little wasted. Still, her comic levity was needed. The entire ensemble in this show are wonderful and working so hard changing clothes (nonstop) to dance on stage as a new character.

The Not-So-Good
The story is an interesting one, but it gets muddled. On the surface is seems to be a man driven by his passion of music, but it's really about PTSD (or at least this comes up A LOT for each vet). Dealing with this serious subject matter in this "dramedy" of a musical feels too light in a season that has Dear Evan Hansen a block over. While you see a romance coming a mile away, it doesn't blossom in the way one would expect over the course of the evening. Plus the ending is just a little too Mickey and Judy for the realness they've tried to portray to that point. The show is called Bandstand which is misleading with all the stories they are attempting to tell.
The Sound. It is AMAZING to have the horns playing on stage, but unfortunately - I missed many of the lyrics being sung. Especially when Laura Osnes was singing.
The direction. Ok - I praised Mr. Blankenbuehler above, but he's tried to do too much with this piece. Thus my muddled comment. Some of that rests on his shoulders and not just the book. The tone of the evening is confusing when we have flashes to the vets back in the fields and literally carrying the ghost of their fallen brothers with them. (Yes, the ensemble attaches themselves to the leads a little too many times throughout the night.) A scene will get very serious with someone cleaning their gun - and it goes no where. Thus I say dramedy as it's a musical comedy wanting to be a drama, or vice-versa. And while I absolutely adore the dancing, it's the transitional dancing that really bothers me. While it worked in Hamilton, it doesn't work (for me) here. It's too much and this show needs an editor to pull a lot back and let the musical breathe.
So will you be entertained? Absolutely. Would you be more entertained at something else currently on Broadway? Absolutely. Is there room for this show to continue swinging on Broadway and catch hold? Only time will tell, but I believe after Tony nominations and after the awards themselves, we'll see a decrease in choices for audiences. It's a shame for a show like Bandstand that has much going for it. I just wish they would have taken more time out of town to get this show to a great place to make it a show that everyone would be talking about. 

Pure Imagination On Broadway

Sometimes touching something near and dear to so many people is a risky business. Broadway producers know that risk when they take a classic like Roald Dahl's Charlie and the Chocolate Factory and create a new musical for the stage. The musical opening April 23rd on Broadway first appeared in London in 2013 and ran for almost four years. With a book by David Greig and a score by March Shaiman and Scott Wittman (the duo behind Hairspray and TV's Smash), director Jack O'Brien (after coming on board when Sam Mendes left) still felt the show needed to be tinkered with more before allowing American audiences to see it. And they have tinkered. Songs have been thrown out. Adults now play kids on stage and well - it appears that scenic and costume designer Mark Thompson had his budget cut in half as the look of the show is very different from what was on The West End. (Note: IF you plan to see it on Broadway, DON'T google the trailer for the London production.)
I'll admit that I was never a huge fan of the film growing up, plus I read theater forums religiously and the word of mouth was not good on this show. Still, my husband loves BOTH films and wanted to see this so we went once the show was frozen just a few days before the official opening.
I was VERY entertained!
Sometimes it's best to go in without certain expectations for a show. This is a musical for kids and adults alike - lots of adult humor that can go right over the heads of children. There are a few songs from the film that you will recognize, but then Shaiman and Wittman have written an original score that has a great sound. Fine - it may not be as good as their Hairspray score (and I'm sure some reviewers will say that), but why must everyone be compared to what they've already done. The View from Here is a BEAUTIFUL song and so fitting for this show. (Hear some of it in this clip below.)


The musical follows the darkness of the original book more than the film. Willy Wonka has also been added to the beginning of the musical so gone is the anticipation of seeing him at the Factory, but I like the character he has now as the candy man early on. Christian Borle has had a busy year on Broadway with both Falsettos and this show. He takes bits and pieces from previous Wonkas before him, yet makes the devilish role his own. He sounds great, he's working up a storm, and seems to be enjoying the part of child tormentor. 
Three little boys split the role of Charlie and Ryan Foust was absolutely adorable at our performance. At first I thought it would bother me to see the other children played by adults, but not at all. Violet, Augustus, Veruca and Mike Teavee are all portrayed wonderfully by these adults. The parental arms of each on the journey through the factory are pretty darn great too with a special shout out to Ben Crawford (who I always love seeing on stage) as Veruca's dad and Jackie Hoffman sharing her comic genius with us. 
Emily Padgett is a loving mom trying to keep it all together for Charlie and his grandparents and seeing John Rubinstein (the original Pippin) back on Broadway as Grandpa Joe is worth the price of the golden ticket! The entire ensemble looks to be having an awesome time playing everything from reporters, to other kids to yes...Oompa Loompas! Special holler to Talya Groves who shines in whatever she does!
I have a tendency to pick shows a part, but I will say that I enjoyed this more than some other musicals (I will not name) that are on Broadway this year as well last. My hubby is a regular Joe/audience guy. He loved the performances, the darkness of it, but even he said he wished there was more 'magic' with the scenic design and not leaving so much up to our imagination. (You can see from the photos that the factory is the same set over and over with some light changes and usually one set piece pushed to the middle of the stage.) I simply say it looks like they are ready for the bus & truck tour of the show so they've already cut it down to make it easier to take Charlie all across the country so that more families get a chance for that golden ticket!

Hello And Welcome Back, Dolly!

As the commercial says, years from now there will be those that saw Bette Midler in Hello Dolly! on Broadway and those that say they did. I am SO lucky to be one of those that will be able to say I saw her. What a night! What a production. The 1964 multi-Tony Award winning musical (synonymous with Carol Channing) was revived in 1975 with an all black cast starring Pearl Bailey and then Carol Channing returned to the staircase in 1995. But this 2017 production feels fresh and new - even though it's an old-fashioned musical. It has already set records (before opening) with more than $40 million in advance ticket sales. And one of the biggest reasons for that is summed up in two words: Bette Midler.
Ms. Midler has turned this iconic role of Dolly Levi into her own. It's part what's on the paper in Michael Stewart's book of the lovable, meddling matchmaker trying to find romance for several people...including herself - but it's also part Bette on that stage. Adorable. Charming. Sassy. Sexy. All at the age of 71! (PS: She isn't the oldest to play the role as Carol was 74 in the 1995 production.) But it seems Ms. Midler hasn't aged. I've seen her in concert and all that love and warmth (and bawdiness) she conveys in concert plays beautifully in the Shubert Theatre which holds just under 1500 people. 
She is a joy from the moment she enters. Speaking fast to confuse her potential clients, lifting her dresses to show her fancy footwork, tenderly speaking to her dearly departed former husband, and that voice - that voice which is half rasp/half silk...it's all there for the audience to eat up and we do. Hearing her sing these Jerry Herman classics such as "Before The Parade Passes By", "Dancing", "Put on Your Sunday Clothes" is sweet music to our ears. I can't recall hearing the roars of cheers as I witnessed in this theater...and I've seen many a legend in Broadway shows. When she finishes the title song in that infamous red dress, the audience rose to their feet welcoming Dolly back to the Harmonia Gardens and Bette back to Broadway! She made her debut in '67 in the original production of Fiddler on the Roof and while she's done some of her concerts and a play back in 2013 on Broadway, this return to her musical roots is glorious and appreciated by every single person in the audience.
So it's Ms. Midler that brings them in, but the entire company and every creative person involved deserves just as much kudos. This production is truly a wonderful production of the old chestnut. Jerry Zaks is known for directing broad comedies and he has put his own touch on this production; stepping away from some of the standard ways we've seen past productions. The pacing reminds me of Lend Me A Tenor and he allows the actors to explore these characters in new and exciting ways. I found it refreshing. Starting with casting David Hyde Pierce as half-a-millionaire Horace Vandergelder - what a plumb role for this man and he does it masterfully. His comic timing is impeccable. He is not simply a grumpy old man, but exasperated while still lovable. 
Gavin Creel is a perfect Cornelius...the energy, the persona, and that voice! I've never heard "Ribbons Down My Back" sung so well as by Kate Baldwin. Her Irene Molloy has more "umpf" to her than those that have come before her. Taylor Trensch is a wonderful ying to Creel's yang as Barnaby. And Beanie Feldstein gives a Broadway debut as Minnie Fay that is scrumptious! Will Burton, Melanie Moore, and Jennifer Simard are all delightful in their roles bringing the right amount of comedy. And that ensemble...those waiters...they make the Shubert stage seem much larger than it is dancing Warren Carlyle's choreography. I honestly can't find one thing that I would nitpick about this production. Santo Loquasto's set and costumes, Natasha Katz lighting, Scott Lehrer's sound design - all brilliant and leaves us with a huge smile on our faces. Sometimes we simply need a musical comedy to make us leave the theater on a high. Jerry Herman's score and Michael Stewart's book of this funny and heartwarming musical does just that. (Plus the wonderful orchestrations by Larry Hochman - I forgot how much I love everything he does with counter melodies in this score.)
I've seen numerous regional and dinner theater productions of this show, but I've never seen it on Broadway. To see it at the Shubert where I saw my first Broadway musical in the summer of '84 made  it all that more special. Leaving the theater after Dolly, my friend said that her heart was full and I can't agree more. That's the power of amazing live theater. That's the joy of a Herman score. That's the euphoria of seeing a living legend giving her all, surrounded by a company that realizes they are all part of something truly magical. We feel it. We know it. We 'get' it. Thank you to the smart producers that knew Broadway needed this comedy back where it belongs.

Bette Midler and Carol ChanningI'd say get a ticket if you're in the area, but honestly...I'm not sure you can. I bought mine the morning they went on sale. Smartest thing I ever did. 
Thank you to this incredible cast for giving me a night I'll never forget.